At the edge of the Jefferson Area High School parking lot lays a
mangled sedan — a “stark reminder” of the dangerous situations in which
teens can put themselves, administrators said.
Officials said Wednesday that distracted driving has become more prevalent than drunk driving in the last two decades. As prom weekend approaches at the high school, instead of the usual mock crash, students took part in an “eye-opening” interactive presentation Wednesday about the dangers of impaired and distracted driving.
The
Cinema Drive preventative program, hosted by N.C.-based Life Changing
Experiences, was flashy and high-tech. Students watched short 3-D films
that dramatized true-life stories — one about a drunk-driving accident
that changed the lives of three close friends; another about a
pedestrian severely injured by a texting driver — before using handheld
remotes to answer trivia questions about the facts behind vehicle law,
drunk driving, texting while driving, speeding and more.
The students were split into gender groups to incite some competition. Kenneth Bain, Life Changing Experiences operations vice president, told The Star Beacon the program’s engagement is the key to its success. Surveys answered by the students before and after the hour-long presentation show, on average, a 30- to 60-percent increase in awareness. An example question is “Is it dangerous to text and drive?”
“At the beginning of the program, maybe 60 percent will say ‘It’s very dangerous,’ which is the correct answer. That’s 40 percent we consider ‘at-risk,’” Bain said. “At the end of the program, we’ll ask the same question. All of a sudden, 90 percent of them say that — so we actually got 30 more percent, which is equivalent to about 75 percent of the at-risk people we changed in that short period of time.”
But the experience goes beyond the assembly. Students were urged to download an app that presents a driving-related storyline over the three weeks following the presentation, with plot choices to be made that affect the characters’ outcomes. Bain said app participation is about 20 to 40 percent — a “high return,” considering teenagers aren’t the most willing participants in programs like these.
“We’re educating them in a way that they learn nowadays,” he said. “They like the 3-D. They like the technology. So, we’re able to captivate their attention long enough to make them think.
“And if we can get them to think, I think we can save a lot of lives.”
The program’s about $4,000 cost was paid through a $50,000 Safe Communities grant through the state Department of Public Safety and the Ohio Traffic Safety Office, said local Safe Communities Coordinator Sandy Pulsifer. The grant also pays for safe driving classes, mock crashes, “mocktail” parties and other educational events for driving-age teens that are common around prom season.
Officials said Wednesday that distracted driving has become more prevalent than drunk driving in the last two decades. As prom weekend approaches at the high school, instead of the usual mock crash, students took part in an “eye-opening” interactive presentation Wednesday about the dangers of impaired and distracted driving.
The students were split into gender groups to incite some competition. Kenneth Bain, Life Changing Experiences operations vice president, told The Star Beacon the program’s engagement is the key to its success. Surveys answered by the students before and after the hour-long presentation show, on average, a 30- to 60-percent increase in awareness. An example question is “Is it dangerous to text and drive?”
“At the beginning of the program, maybe 60 percent will say ‘It’s very dangerous,’ which is the correct answer. That’s 40 percent we consider ‘at-risk,’” Bain said. “At the end of the program, we’ll ask the same question. All of a sudden, 90 percent of them say that — so we actually got 30 more percent, which is equivalent to about 75 percent of the at-risk people we changed in that short period of time.”
But the experience goes beyond the assembly. Students were urged to download an app that presents a driving-related storyline over the three weeks following the presentation, with plot choices to be made that affect the characters’ outcomes. Bain said app participation is about 20 to 40 percent — a “high return,” considering teenagers aren’t the most willing participants in programs like these.
“We’re educating them in a way that they learn nowadays,” he said. “They like the 3-D. They like the technology. So, we’re able to captivate their attention long enough to make them think.
“And if we can get them to think, I think we can save a lot of lives.”
The program’s about $4,000 cost was paid through a $50,000 Safe Communities grant through the state Department of Public Safety and the Ohio Traffic Safety Office, said local Safe Communities Coordinator Sandy Pulsifer. The grant also pays for safe driving classes, mock crashes, “mocktail” parties and other educational events for driving-age teens that are common around prom season.
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